Sliding surface bolts have long been used to retain doors of buildings, doors (and access panels) of cabinetry, and the like in a closed position. An example of such a sliding surface bolt is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,354,646 issued to A. C. Heintzelman on Oct. 5, 1920. A metal bolt member is slidingly carried by a metal base. Screws penetrate two slots in the base and thread into mating threaded passages penetrating the underside of the bolt. The bolt member is thus constrained by these screws to slide back and forth between an open and a locked position. A separate metal handle is secured to the bolt member by a screw or other suitable fastener. The base is mounted on a door by yet additional screw fasteners. When the door is closed, a person may use the handle to slide the bolt member into a locked position in which the bolt member engages a strike plate mounted on a frame of the door. When the person wishes to open the door, the handle is used to slide the bolt member into an unlocked position in which the bolt member is disengaged from the strike plate, enabling the door to open.
The Heintzelman sliding surface bolt is relatively heavy and complicated, including the separate (i) metal base, (ii) metal bolt, (iii) metal handle, and (iv) compression spring components as well as (v) fastener passages formed in the underside of the metal bolt, (vi) a compression spring passage formed in the bottom of the bolt, (vii) fastener slots formed in the metal base, (viii) mounting fastener passages formed in the metal base, and (ix) at least five associated metal fasteners. The Heintzelman surface bolt is also of fixed size that cannot be altered easily by a user.
There are other types of prior art sliding surface bolts. They are typically made of multiple metal parts that are heavy, are relatively costly to manufacture, and can deteriorate if installed in locations that are exposed to weather. Many of these bolts are also relatively mechanically complex and also typically having a variety of small parts, screws, and the like that can come loose, break, or be lost entirely.